Re: Reference return buggy notice?

Ondra Zizka wrote:

Hello, please look at the code bellow and tell if it does not conform to rules of returning a reference from a function. In the first method, I return reference to $sRet variable, and PHP is quiet. But in the second, PHP says: Notice: Only variable references should be returned by reference in C:\web\php_bug_reference_return.php on line 8 // return $ref =& $this->ReturnReference(); (Note that the notice does not concern the first method as the notice appears even if I remove references from the first method.) But I am still just returning a reference to a variable, so I guess it's actually correct, isn't it? Thanks for oppinions. Ondra Zizka <?php class A { function &ReturnReference(){ $sFoo = "Hi."; return $sRet =& $sFoo; } function &RequireReference(){ return $ref =& $this->ReturnReference(); } } $oA = new A(); $ref = $oA->RequireReference(); ?>

When you define a function as returning a reference (with the & prefix) you do not need to get the reference yourself, PHP will do it for you. The following should work fine... <?php

    class A
    {
        function & ReturnReference()
        {
            $sFoo = "Hi.";
            return $sFoo;
        }

        function & RequireReference()
        {
            $retval = $this->ReturnReference();
            return $retval;
        }
    }

    $oA = new A();
    $ref = $oA->RequireReference();

?> -Stut -- http://stut.net/